Pakistan’s Export Development Fund has had its entire available capital, worth over $86 million, earmarked for investments aimed at supporting businesses, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said on Saturday, as the government works to channel the revamped fund toward boosting exports.
Officials said the full Rs24 billion, equivalent to approximately $86.5 million, currently held by the fund would be directed toward initiatives that facilitate the business community. The announcement follows a restructuring that has given private-sector representatives a greater role in managing the Export Development Fund and shifted its focus toward projects directly linked to export growth rather than infrastructure spending. Pakistan has struggled for years to expand and diversify its exports while its economy remains exposed to recurring balance-of-payments pressures.
Export Development Fund Restructured Under Private-Sector Leadership
Speaking at a meeting on the fund in Lahore, Sharif said that following restructuring and reforms, leadership of the Export Development Fund had been entrusted to private-sector experts. He added that all capital available with the fund was being utilized to facilitate the business community.
The fund was originally established to finance measures aimed at developing and promoting Pakistan’s exports. Its overhaul has been under way since last year, when the government began reforming its governance structure and redirecting its resources toward initiatives with a measurable impact on export performance. A private-sector-dominated Board of Administrators, comprising 22 members, was constituted in February, with six seats reserved for public-sector representatives.
Fund to Support Export-Led Growth Through Research and Skills Development
Officials briefed the meeting that the revamped Export Development Fund was also pursuing initiatives focused on research, skills development and competitiveness as part of the broader push for export-led growth. Efforts are additionally under way to secure continued preferential access for Pakistani exports to European markets under the European Union’s GSP Plus scheme, a benefit officials view as central to sustaining export-led growth over the medium term.
Sharif said the measures reflected the government’s commitment to building an export-led economy and strengthening Pakistan’s standing as an investment destination.
SME Risk Pool Deal Expands Export Credit Insurance Coverage
Sharif also welcomed export credit insurance coverage being extended through a joint arrangement between the Export Development Fund and the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan, describing it as particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises. The two institutions recently signed an SME Risk Pool agreement worth approximately Rs3 billion, or $10.8 million, designed to widen smaller exporters’ access to export credit insurance and shield them from the risk of non-payment by overseas buyers.
Sharif described the arrangement as a significant step toward promoting small and medium-sized businesses, saying it would help the business community increase the volume of its exports.
Conclusion
With its full capital now earmarked for business-facing initiatives, the Export Development Fund is being positioned as a central pillar of Pakistan’s efforts to diversify export earnings, expand export credit insurance for smaller firms and pursue sustained export-led growth. Whether these reforms translate into a measurable rise in export volumes will depend on how effectively the private-sector-led board deploys the fund’s resources in the months ahead.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, September 6th, 2026
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